West leg of Calgary's LRT to open Dec. 10, 2012

Calgary Transit's West light-rail transit line in Calgary, AB, Canada, will open for service on Dec. 10, 2012, meeting the original start of service that was promised in 2009.

"We anticipate that come Dec. 10, more than 30,000 people will choose to ride the new LRT," said the Calgary's General Manager of Transportation Mac Logan. "We want to provide all Calgarians with the opportunity to make Calgary Transit their preferred transportation option and this project is a major step towards that goal."

The massive project includes six new stations along more than eight kilometers (five miles) of track, major roadway upgrades, construction of a new interchange, a high school and a completely revamped pedestrian and cycling network.

The changes resulted in the opening date being pushed back to March 2013. However, after some intensive work by the contractor, in coordination with the city of Calgary, the majority of the construction work was completed this fall, allowing the opening date to be moved ahead.